We presented a host of survey findings regarding vital internet trends in a previous article. We hope you found it useful!

Yet at our core, we want our readers up-to-date on the latest information regarding VPN use and data security. So, this article intergrates many of the most up-to-date survey findings involving these topics and more.

Data Privacy

2016 had proved to be a watershed year in terms of public focus on data privacy issues. These issues include:

Data Privacy vs National Security

In a troubling development for privacy advocates, the majority of Americans thought Apple should have unlocked the San Bernardino terrorist’s iPhone.

This reflects a general trend. Americans are currently worried their government isn’t doing enough on the cyber front to deal with terrorism.

Rising Concerns about Businesses and Data Use

More than 95% of Americans surveyed in a recent poll said they were either somewhat concerned or very concerned about how companies use their data.

Ad Blocking Continues to Grow

Internet giants like Apple and Google contend that they collect customer data to customize ads for their users. However, the data shows internet users are growing so frustrated with ads that they are employing ad blockers in record numbers.

Summary of these Data Privacy Statistics

Taken together, these charts demonstrate the increasing need of both consumers and businesses to focus on cybersecurity even more than they already do.

This focus will be complicated, however, by an increasingly polarized political environment both in the U.S. and around the world.

After all, it’s up to governments to make and enforce data protection laws. At the same time, many of these governments are actively seeking legal means to violate data protection measures.

VPN Use

Of course, VPN use and data privacy have strong correlations. By accessing a separate server for internet use, VPNs make it much more difficult for hackers and/or 3rd parties to track online activities. The following charts examine the current state of VPN use around the globe.

Top Markets for VPN Use

Asia and the Middle East continue to dominate the VPN market.

VPN Use Frequency

The majority of people who employ a VPN do so at least once a week.

Anonymous Browsing

Anonymous browsing is a major reason for VPN use, especially in Saudi Arabia, India, and Vietnam.

Accessing Netflix

Another main driver for VPN use is access to streaming content. For example, almost 30% of all VPN users accessed Netflix in a given month.

Summary of VPN Use Stats

The market for internet privacy continues to grow, led by the same global regions as recent years. In addition, access to streaming content continues to be a major motivator for VPN users, despite the claims of Netflix that they represent a small section of its overall user base.

Cyber Crime

Cyber crimes continue to evolve. As shown in the following charts, the amount of breaches remains high and the challenges for both consumers and businesses to protect against evolving threats are manifold.

Data Breaches

The most recent numbers show a continuing trend of increased data breaches around the world.

Online Privacy Threats

According to the U.S. government, identity theft is the largest cyber crime concern in the U.S.

Cyber Crime and Number of Household Devices

The threat of cyber crimes against individual consumers increases dramatically as the number of household devices rises.

Cyber Crime Fears Create Major Online Behavior Changes

The threat of identity theft and other cyber crimes has caused almost 30% of all U.S. Internet users to avoid conducting financial transactions online at one time or another during 2015.

Cyber Crime Against Businesses and Organizations

For businesses and professional organizations, the threat of cyber crimes far out-distances their preparedness to deal with an attack. In fact, 63% of businesses do not have a fully operable incidence response plan.

The Challenges of Protecting Online Privacy

There is a myriad of reasons why data privacy protection often fails.

The Zero-Day Vulnerability

The threat of zero-day vulnerabilities has grown 125% since 2013. In this type of attack, hackers discover, launch, and exploit an attack on the same day, well ahead of any security measure even detecting a problem.

Ransomware Continues to Evolve

Recent years have seen a major shift in the way hackers launch ransomware attacks. In 2008, it was done almost exclusively by misleading apps. In 2015, however, the primary method is crypto-ransomware.

Crypto-ransomware compromises the endpoint through:

– Spam
– Direct download
– Malvertising
– Malware and botnets

Summary of Cyber Crime Stats

With threats such as zero-day vulnerabilities and ransomware attacks growing more powerful and sophisticated, consumers’ online behaviors will continue to be adversely affected. Additionally, as more households acquire more devices, the risk for successful attacks will increase.

Sources:
https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/vpn-use-data-privacy-stats
http://www.kpcb.com/internet-trends
https://www.globalwebindex.net/blog
https://www.globalwebindex.net/blog/1-in-5-are-weekly-vpn-users/29-of-vpn-users-accessing-netflix
https://www.globalwebindex.net/blog/1-in-5-are-weekly-vpn-users
https://www.globalwebindex.net/blog/topic/vpn
https://www.globalwebindex.net/blog/15-for-15-generation-v
https://pagefair.com/blog/2015/ad-blocking-report/
http://www.druva.com/blog/the-state-of-data-privacy-in-2015-infographic/
http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/services/advisory/consulting/forensics/economic-crime-survey/cybercrime.html
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/02/19/americans-feel-the-tensions-between-privacy-and-security-concerns/
http://www.people-press.org/2016/02/22/more-support-for-justice-department-than-for-apple-in-dispute-over-unlocking-iphone/
https://www.ntia.doc.gov/blog/2016/lack-trust-internet-privacy-and-security-may-deter-economic-and-other-online-activities
https://www.symantec.com/security-center/threat-report